When is Daylight Savings Time

Whenever I’m thinking about daylight savings time versus standard time, I always have to remember the adage my mother taught me: spring forward or fall back.

That being said, I know the clocks move forward in spring and go back an hour in fall. However, into which measure of time? Is daylight savings time the one in the spring or the fall? Same for you?

Also, since first writing this article, I’ve learned that, technically, it is daylight saving (singular) time. As in it is saving some time in daylight — or at least that’s my take on why it is singular (saving) and not plural (savings). From here forward I’ve fixed that spellling.

When is Daylight Saving Time

Turns out daylight saving time is the one in the spring.

Daylight saving time always starts on the second Sunday in March.

When does the time change 2024?

This year it happens on March 10. The next big day? The solar eclipse on April 8. Find out if you’re in the path of totality AKA darkness. 🌚

Time changes throughout the year

Currently, most of us in the United States are affected by time changes in November and March. However, it wasn’t always that way.

It used to be that the year was divided roughly evenly between daylight saving time (in the warmer months) and daylight standard time (fall into winter). However, in 2007 that all changed.

That’s when daylight saving time — the spring forward movement — moved up a full month to early March. It used to be in early April.

At the same time, the fall back part was moved to later in the year. Rather than happening right around Halloween, we had our clocks fall back around the first full week of November. So, trick or treaters nationwide rejoiced that they would “get” an extra hour of daylight for collecting candy.

You know who didn’t rejoice? Runners in the New York City marathon. Since time changes always happen overnight between Saturday and Sunday, this time change seems to line up with the running of the New York City marathon in early November.

What time do the clocks change?

The time change — whether for daylight saving time or standard time — always happens in the overnight between Saturday and Sunday. Technically, it is early, very early, on Sunday morning.

So, at 2 a.m. on the Sunday of the time change, that’s when the clocks either spring forward or fall back.

Fun fact: if you work in an online environment like I do, check your Google Analytics for the day the time changes. Your analytics will look all out of whack! It is almost like time doesn’t exist for that hour you lose or gain.

Benefit of daylight saving and standard time

When legislators debated playing around with daylight saving time or standard time, it was always in the realm of conserving energy. That is, if it stays lighter out longer, people wouldn’t have to turn on the lights at home and use energy. I mean, eventually you would have to turn on the lights. But if you could work at home by daylight for longer, that was seen as beneficial.

I always thought that farmers were the ones who lobbied for time changes. However, the more I’ve read up on the topic, the more I’ve learned that this is an old wives’ tale — or, old farmers’ tale, as the case may be. According to this AgAmerica article, farmers still hate it.

“What it actually does is disrupt a farmer’s carefully orchestrated schedule. For instance, if dairy cows are used to being milked at 5:00 a.m., moving the clock back an hour in the fall actually moves their milking time back an hour, and livestock cannot understand waiting another hour to be milked. Then, just as the cows get used to it, the milking schedule gets changed again in the spring.”

Effects of daylight saving time and other time changes

As a dog owner, my dogs feel the same as the cows but with regards to meal times. They don’t care what time it says on the clock. They’re used to getting breakfast at one time and dinner at another. When the time changes, their stomachs still “growl” at the old time. It’s especially annoying in the fall when meal time inevitably gets moved up a full hour.

I’ve always likened time change with travel across time zones. When you travel from the East Coast to the West Coast or even the U.S. to Europe, you’re jumping a bunch of time zones. It can take you days to acclimate to those new time zones. It’s the same with time changes at home.

Recently, I got a press release from GrubHub with some stats to back up these disruptions.

• 62% of respondents said they feel the effects of the time change for at least a week
• 51% said the time change makes them tired for a few days

Daylight Saving Time in Maine

For years, Maine legislators have been trying to end the seasons of “falling back” and “springing forward” for Mainers. The most recent attempt to make Maine exempt from daylight saving time was in March 2023 and again in November 2023.

Currently, it is paused. Had it gone through, however, it would mean that Maine would stay on standard time all year and we would never have to change our clocks. With the rise of smartphones and smart devices, the hassle of physically changing the time on our clocks is often limited to microwaves and kitchen ovens. Nonetheless, I would love to get rid of the tradition altogether.

Promo to make daylight saving time change easier

Not surprisingly, that press release also included a promo that the company came up with to make the transition to daylight saving time easier.

From March 9 to March 13, customers who order from CVS Pharmacy on Grubhub can get a free item from an assortment of what they’re calling “Daylight Saving Essentials.” You qualify for this free item with delivery orders of $20 or more.

You can find the Daylight Saving Essentials as a special menu category from CVS on Grubhub. It features energy-boosting must-haves including:

• coffee
• protein bars
• tea
• supplements

The discount will automatically be applied at checkout. Customers who are members of Grubhub+ will get access to $0 delivery fees on eligible orders from CVS Pharmacy.

Check out this GrubHub deal for Amazon Prime members.

CVS locations in Southern Maine

You’ll find CVS pharmacies inside Target stores in Maine as well as freestanding locations. I’m not clear if this Grubhub deal works with CVS locations inside Target.

Here is a list of towns with CVS stores in Southern Maine. This includes CVS pharmacies inside Target:

• Auburn stores (2)
• Biddeford stores (2)
• Brunswick stores (1)
• Cape Elizabeth stores (1)
• Freeport stores (1)
• Kennebunk stores (1)
• Lewiston stores (2)
• Portland stores (4)
• Sanford stores (1)
• South Portland stores (2)
• Topsham stores (1)
• Wells stores (1)
• Westbrook stores (1)
• Windham stores (1)

There are no food holidays associated with the end of daylight standard time, However, a few weeks later, spring begins. And there are definitely freebies to celebrate that first day of spring.